Nothing's quite black or white
by FluffyMonkey99
Summary: A new mutant appears on the scene with the same power as Magneto and it doesn't take him long to recognise those mismatched eyes. But her martial arts abilities and her power make her an extra special target. I'm awful at summaries... it's much better than it sounds.
1. 1 Meet the Mutants

**So, all of the charachters in this belong to the x-men apart from Aliana and Dixon. I've been writing it during exam period so the later chapters might be a little stop start but I still hope you like this one, so have fun reading.**

Aliana ran as fast as he legs would carry her, pursued but an unknown enemy that was so close she could almost hear his breathing. How she knew it was a he she didn't know but she did know that if whatever it was caught her she would never escape. The corridor she was running down shifted and twisted turning in to a field that ended in a steep cliff, ground swiftly turned in to open air, jagged rocks below her. As if in a cartoon she stood and turned to see her pursuer but dropped before she could see him.

She woke quickly, her breathing coming quickly as the sweat lined her forehead, her pyjama's stuck to her as she rolled over and got out of bed, going to her curtains and pulling them open to find that it was still dark outside. The red light from her clock that was illuminating her room told her that it was only 5 in the morning, earlier than she normally woke up but not too early for some morning training.

Flipping the switch for the light she looked in to her mirror and grimaced at the sight that greeted her. Her hair was matted from an unsettled night's sleep, her fringe stuck to her forehead and her pyjamas were crumpled and sweaty from her dream. The whites of her eyes had turned red, meaning she'd obviously been crying in her sleep again.

She brushed her hair before tying it back, some of the red-brown strands falling around her face and framing her odd eyes, and quickly got dressed before heading out of her room in to her small kitchen, making herself some toast and pulling the orange juice out of the fridge. She had, from birth, had a genetic oddity with her eyes causing one to be a dark brown and one to be almost golden. Holding her hand out behind her a cup flew across the room in to her hand, it was rimmed in metal, the only reason she could do what she had.

She had a special ability that caused her to be labelled as a mutant, a special ability that allowed her to control anything metallic. Her mother had said she was like her father in that respect, not that she could remember him. Apparently her mother ran from him when Aliana were born to save her from him, moving them across the country to California where she could grow up in the sun. Unfortunately her mother hadn't lived to see Aliana's 19th birthday as she had been involved in a car crash that should have killed Aliana as well although she'd been left with a simple scar across her stomach.

Since then she had moved to New York, which, although much wetter than California, offered much more in the way of a future for her.

Pulling on her trainers Aliana headed out the door of her flat and down the stairs, it wasn't the best neighbourhood to live in but it was all she could afford from what her mother had left her. It would hopefully keep her going until she could find a decent job.

She headed out in to the main street, noting the pink glow that signalled the imminent sunrise. Her feet led her without conscious thought towards the park nearby. An early morning run always had the ability to clear her head before another long day of job hunting.

She'd been searching for a job in the city for a good month and yet nothing had come up. The problem emerging where the only think Aliana could do was fight and most martial arts places didn't want a girl to teach, especially when the girl was as young and skinny as she was.

A few hours later Aliana stood outside a small gym, it was her last resort before having to go in to something like waitressing. She'd waitressed before for a brief period and hated every minute of it.

Before she could even walk through the door some guy barged out the doors, hurling abuse at the young man on the desk who was almost in tears, reinforcing her decision to leave and go back the next.

She watched the guy that had barged out until he turned at looked straight back at her.

"And what do you think you're looking at?" He yelled at her, walking back towards her making a few people turn to look. Aliana seemed to have an unnatural talent for trouble.

"You, and you're seamless stream of abusive language," She said, before even thinking about it, she had never had a filter between her brain and her mouth.

"Oh really kid?" He asked walking over to her, "I don't think a mutant like you has a right to talk smart ass at me."

"If you're referring to my eyes, it's known as heterochromia, and if you'd stayed in school you'd know how to speak English without sounding like a moron," Aliana replied before adding, "good luck in life with that attitude," and walking off, leaving the guy looking stunned for a moment before he followed her.

"What's your name?" The guy asked as he followed Aliana along the road, drawing level with her.

"Like I'd tell you, New Yorkers are so weird," Aliana replied before turning a corner, the guy reached forwards and caught her by the arm, revoking an immediate response. She twisted, spun and ducked down all at the same time, sending the guy over her head and on to the floor, "leave me alone," she added before walking off again.

Later that day Aliana sat on a bus that was heading back in to town, having headed out for a change of scenery. Turning a corner in to a quieter road the bus stopped quickly, throwing Aliana in to the seat in front of her, her outstretched arms the only thing stopping her from hitting the metal bar at the top of the seat. She pushed herself up and sat up slowly, watching as a few of the teenagers that had been sitting up the back stood up and headed forwards, their focus entirely on something in front of the bus.

As she watched them, the entire front of the bus was ripped away, a few screams following from the people around her. Leaning forwards she watched a man with what looked like a red metal helmet thing on his head.

One of the group of teenagers were going along the bus, making sure people who could get away were moving, and helping those who were injured. Aliana saw it all as if time had slowed down completely until the guy touched her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" He asked, looking at her carefully.

"Yeah, what's going on, is that guy a mutant?" Aliana asked as she looked at him, glancing at the guy in front of the bus.

"Yes but that's not for you to worry about, you have to go," He said, pulling her up and almost pushing along with the others.

"I can help," She said, turning to him. At this close a distance she could see he was older than she'd originally thought, maybe in his mid-twenties.

"I don't think you can, except by leaving," He said, looking at her and trying to push her away. As he did Aliana spotted a car flying towards them and, as always acting before thinking, she pushed the guy out the way and stopped the car mid-flight causing everyone to turn and stare at the random girl.

She let go of the car and it dropped safely to an empty part of the road, only just noticing that she'd gotten the attention of the guy in the helmet who, when she met his gaze, looked almost scared.

"Don't think this is over," he said to one of them before looking at Aliana again before leaving.


	2. 2 Welcome to Xavier's

Aliana stood in some sort of office, rocking on to the balls of her feet and back again as she stared out the window at the grounds.

After the whole thing with the man in the helmet the other people, the ones she'd originally thought were a bunch of teenagers, had convinced her to come back with them, to meet some professor or something. It turned out that the bunch of them lived at a school for mutants.

Xavier's academy for gifted youngsters. Aliana had heard about it but had assumed it was just some private school for rich kids.

"Aliana I take it?" A voice asked, making Aliana turn around to come face to face with a bald guy in a wheelchair.

"Professor Xavier I take it?" Aliana asked. One of the others had mentioned him on the way back and she was always defensive with people she didn't know.

"You take correctly. I hear you were of valuable help to my students earlier," He replied, motioning for Aliana to take a seat in front of the desk.

Obliging she slipped in to one of the seats before facing the professor and saying, "I helped," with a simple shrug.

"You also put yourself in danger. I have been told that you can control metal. Is that correct?" The professor asked to which Aliana nodded and shrugged. "You have the very same power as the man you helped my students stop and that will be cause enough for him to notice you. Trust me when I say that his attention is not always a good thing."

"So? I can't change the past, I'll just have to be extra vigilant," She replied.

"You will, and that will involve you moving here to live with my students and teachers," he explained before quickly adding, "you are under no obligation however to become a student or a teacher."

"I suppose anywhere is better than the hole I'm living in at the moment, who am I to pass up a free room?" She replied as she raised her eyebrows.

"Good to hear, Scott here will show you around and then you'll have a chance to go and collect your things," The professor said as the door opened and a man in red sunglasses walked in.

"Nice glasses," she said as she looked at him.

"Nice eyes," Scott replied to which she smiled.

"Heterochromia, one of my lesser mutations," Aliana said in explanation to her eyes.

"Optic Blast, one of my more advances mutations," He replied, grinning back at her.

"I think I'm gonna like it here," She said simply before nodding to the Professor and heading out for a tour.

Scott led Aliana around the ground floor, showing her the kitchen, the dining room and some of the larger rooms they used as classrooms before taking her outside and showing her the grounds.

"You'll be in a teacher's room, it's a single room with an ensuite instead of the shared rooms and bathrooms that the students have," Scott explained as they walked around the building.

"Awesome, so is there anything I need to know to survive a mansion full of mutants. I only ever lived with my mum and her only ability was to be able to tell when anyone lied," Aliana asked as they headed round the building to an area where some of the students were having a martial arts lesson.

"Don't anger Logan and you'll be fine," He replied as they headed over to the class.

"Who's Logan?" She asked simply.

"He is," Scott said, motioning to the guy in front of the martial arts class.

"You have got to be kidding me," Aliana said as she looked at the guy, recognising him from earlier that day at the gym.

"You," Logan said, making the entire class turn to look at Aliana who now had her arms folded across her chest and her eyes fixed on Logan.

"Looks like you two have already met," Scott replied, glancing between them.

"Yep, I met him when he nearly knocked me over whilst hurling a stream of abuse and the poor guy on the reception desk," Aliana replied, pursing her lips, a habit she'd inherited from her mother whenever she was angry.

"His fault for not letting me in," Logan replied walking over to them before looking down at Aliana, "What are you doing here?"

"Couldn't you tell? I'm a mutant, and not just because of my eyes. I can tell that you're entire skeleton is infused with adamantium and I can probably, with a little training, control it, so don't piss me off," she said before turning and heading away.

"I like her," Scott said, smiling before heading away with her to continue to tour.

The two of them soon headed back in to the mansion and up the stairs, Scott showing her to her room that was a little down the corridor from his, next to another teacher that he called Storm. Apparently they all had nicknames that had something to do with their abilities, Storm was hers.

Aliana's room was surprisingly big; a double bed in the centre faced a wall at which stood a dresser and stool. At the far end, next to a desk and chair was a large double door that opened on to a small balcony. Next to the main door was another door leading to a small ensuite.

"It's nice," She said simply, walking over to the double door and looking out at the grounds.

"Glad you like it. I'm to accompany you to collect your things. The professor doesn't want to take any unnecessary risks yet," Scott said, holding the door open for her.

"Nice of you all to care so much," Aliana said in such an offhanded way that Scott looked almost a little taken aback.

"It's normal to care," He replied as she walked out the door and he shut it behind her.

"I know, just since mum died no one really has," She replied, heading down the corridor with him.

"No dad in the picture?" He asked simply.

"Even if he wanted to be in my life I wouldn't let him," Aliana replied.

"Really?" Scott exclaimed, shocked to the core.

"Really. My mum moved us away from him to keep me safe and he never even attempted to stop her. I don't know who he is, or where he is, but I do know I hate him for it," She explained, not realising she's stopped completely the anger evident in her mismatched eyes.

"You're eyes really are interesting," He said as he glanced at her, attempting to change topic and cheer her up.

"Thanks, I get it from my mum," She replied, smiling and heading out with Scott to get her stuff, surprising him with her sudden mood change.


	3. 3 Getting to Know People

Aliana woke with a start the next morning, panicking because she didn't quite remember where she was and taking a few moments to remember before dropping back on to the bed. She could hear the hustle and bustle of a school around her and at took her a moment to realise just how strange it was not to be involved in all of that.

She got up and wandered in to the bathroom, getting washed before rooting through a few suitcases for an outfit, deciding on, seeing as it was summer, leggings, a strappy top and her sandals before heading out of her room and down to the kitchen, dodging students, most of which gave her funny looks having not seen her before.

"Ah, Aliana, sleep well?" Scott asked as he spotted her and headed over.

"Yeah well, it's always nice to sleep in a place where you don't hear a police car every few minutes," She replied, in a surprisingly good mood.

"Good to hear. I was thinking, if you want to expand your abilities whilst you're here I'll be happy to teach you how," He offered as he walked to the kitchen with her.

"Thanks, that'd be really cool," she replied, grabbing a drink of juice and searching through the cupboards for something edible before going for a banana from the fruit bowl, "So Logan. Is he a teacher?"

"Yeah he is, why?" Scott asked, hoping she wasn't going to request to be taught by him.

"I doubt he could teach a dog to sit, what does he teach?" Aliana asked, concentrating on her banana.

"Combat," came a gruff reply from behind her, a familiar voice that made her roll her eyes.

"Really? It takes a lot more than being able to punch something to teach anything involving martial arts," Aliana said, standing up to face him, even though he was head and shoulders taller than her.

"Oh really? And who are you to lecture me on that?" He asked, looking down at her.

"A qualified martial arts instructor," She replied, before downing her juice and walking out of the room.

"Prove it!" Logan shouted after her.

"Half an hour, in the gym, be there," She said without even looking back, smiling a little to herself, she hadn't had a decent fight in a long time.

"Did I just hear you right? Are you challenging Logan?" A girl asked, almost skipping over to Aliana.

"It seems so, why?" She asked.

"I've never seen anyone beat him, he's a bit of a… well you'll find out. I'm Kitty, I'm a phaser," The girl said, holding her hand out to Aliana.

"Aliana, metal wielder?" Aliana asked, shaking Kitty's hand.

"Like Magneto? That's cool," Kitty replied, smiling before adding, "Bet Logan's easy for you then."

"Not yet, maybe soon though, I don't think I'm as strong as that Magna-whatever guy," She replied as they turned, heading up to the rooms.

"Better than being boring, so where are you?" She asked, motioning to the rooms around her.

"The teacher's section, I'm older than I look," Aliana replied, directing them round the corner to the teacher's section.

Half an hour later Aliana stood in the gym with Kitty, going through a few set patterns in warm up. The bow she was holding almost a blur in her hands as she swung it and spun it, jabbing at an imaginary opponent.

Kitty sat across from her, phone in hand, watching her new found friend. To Kitty, Aliana's movements seemed flawless and graceful, as close to a dancer as you could get without being a dancer. She jumped as Aliana used the bow in her hand to propel her in to a vaulted flip before landing on her feet with the bow in front of her.

"That looks so good," Kitty said, glancing down at her phone before taking a photo of Aliana who just gave her a raised eyebrow.

"It was jerky… I haven't trained properly in a month," Aliana replied, propping the bow up on the wall and taking a drink, readjusting her top as Logan walked in.

"You use a bow? Jeez, I cut those things up in seconds," He said as he looked at her.

"I use a bow for warm up, for fighting I use these," She said, holding out her hands and causing two Sais to fly in to her hands.

"Fair enough, what are they made of?" he asked, taking off his jacket and walking on to the mat.

"Not a clue, but I love them, besides, for you I want a clean hand to hand fight, not help from abilities," Aliana replied walking back on to the mat and facing Logan.

"Sounds like a plan," Logan said, launching at her, only to get sidestepped and fall flat on his face.

"The first mistake to make is to misjudge the intentions of your opponent," Aliana said as he righted himself before running at her.

She waited a moment before vaulting him, "The second is to rush in to a fight that hasn't yet been gauged," she added when she landed.

Logan turned and narrowed his eyes at her before trying a sneaky move in which he went one way then aimed for the other to which Aliana twisted to the side, "thirdly and fourthly, anticipate your opponent and let them wear down before you attack," she added, before swiping Logan's legs out from beneath him and sending him crashing to the floor.

"Nice fight but… you're easy to predict," Aliana said, picking up her Sais and heading to the door, spinning them round and blocking a direct punch from Logan before raising her eyebrow and adding, "best you can do?" before leaving, Kitty heading out close behind her, giving Logan and look.

"Dude, you just got served," Scott said, appearing from around the corner.

"She's sneaky," Logan said simply, watching her walk away, twirling her Sais in her hands.

"She's trained, apparently since she was about 5," Scott added, heading to a lesson he was giving and smiling at Logan.

As much as Logan didn't like being beaten she couldn't help but admit that the girl had style and a very interesting style at that. It wasn't often that someone could outsmart him that easily. Aliana hadn't realised it but in that single fight, Logan had taken quite a liking to her.


	4. 4 Enter Magneto

Aliana woke and glanced out her window as she spotted a jet leaving the mansion. A yawned gripped her before she stood up and wandered to the window, watching it leave. She'd only seen it leave once before and each time it managed to wake her up. Two weeks had passed since she'd moved all of her stuff to the mansion and her clock, which currently sat on her bedside table, told her that it was 5 in the morning, explaining the slight red and pink band of light gracing the horizon.

She turned her alarm clock off and headed in to the bathroom, getting washed and dressed in her training clothes, planning on an early morning training session now she was awake. Tying her hair up as she headed down the stairs, her sole aim being on breakfast, she didn't notice the movements in the shadows until a hand reached out from a doorway and pulled her in, motioning for her to be quiet.

"Logan? What's going on?" Aliana asked her voice as quiet as she could make it.

"Intruders," Logan replied before heading out of the room, motioning for her to stay where she was. She stayed still, just inside the darkened room, listening as Logan unleashed his claws and took someone by surprise. The cry that rang our alerted everyone in ear shot and soon Aliana could hear a good 4 or 5 men on Logan.

Her attention had been so set on Logan that she hadn't heard a door open quietly nearby, nor did she hear the person come up behind her until hands grabbed her.

"Logan!" She shouted as she felt a hand go to her mouth, the other still holding her tight as she squirmed.

Logan appeared in the doorway almost instantaneously. "Let her go," he growled, so angry that he hadn't notice Aliana go completely still, letting out a long breath before shifting her weight ever so slightly. Before he'd had a chance to spring Aliana had used a subtle change in weight to flip the guy of her should, his hold taking her with him and allowing her to plunge an elbow in his stomach on the landing, causing him to release her.

By the time the two of them made their way back in to the hall some of the students had appeared, having heard the fighting. Kitty phased through the floor above and appeared next to Aliana.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Intruders, there are more coming, get the kids out, go," Logan said, ushering the two of them towards the stairs. Kitty pulled Aliana up the stairs before losing her grip; the upper corridors were manic with the younger kids waking up the others to leave.

"Ali, we have to go," Kitty said, turning back to Aliana to see her glancing back at the hall.

"You take them. Logan's gonna need help," Aliana replied, racing down the corridor her room, grabbing her Sais and heading back to the hall way, vaulting the barrier and landing next to Logan in a surprisingly cat like way.

"I told you to go," He said, his eyes locked on the main doorway.

"And I can beat you in a fight," She replied which halted all replied he had.

The two of them stood there in companionable silence waiting for an attack that never came. They glanced at each other before standing up and heading to the door, pushing it open to reveal the apparently empty grounds.

"You said they were coming," Aliana said as she looked from Logan to the empty grounds, taking a few steps forwards.

"They're not human, they're mutant," Logan said, absolutely stock still, "run, go after the others," he added quickly and quietly.

"Why?" Aliana asked, her tone matching Logan's.

"Magneto," was all he could say before being thrown back in to the mansion leaving Aliana standing on her own.

"He still hasn't learnt," A dark voice said coming from a figure that headed out of the shadows towards Aliana.

"You're that guy from the other week," She said, looking at him and taking a few steps back towards the mansion doors which slammed shut behind before she could get there.

"Yes well, I had to make sure my theory was correct, Aliana," He said, walking up towards her so she was backed right up against the now steadfastly shut doors.

"How do you know my name?" she asked as he walked over and looked straight in to her eyes.

"Because I gave it to you my dear, well your mother and I did," The guy replied.

"You mean…" She started her own words trailing off.

"Yes my dear, that's exactly what I mean. Don't worry, I can see your confused, I'll come back for you," He said, placing a hand on her shoulder before walking away, leaving a very shocked Aliana standing there, still backed against the doors.

"What did Magneto say to her?" Jean asked as she and Logan watched the rather fragile looking girl that was currently sitting with the professor in the grounds.

"I don't know, she wouldn't tell me," Logan replied, worried about her. She hadn't said a word to anyone since Magneto had left her by doors. She hadn't replied when Logan had reappeared at her side. She hadn't spoken to Kitty who had sat with her all morning once they had realised that the mansion was once again secure.

The professor turned from where he had been and headed back in to the mansion, leaving Aliana where she sat.

"I need to speak to all the teachers and the older students urgently. It appears that Aliana's parentage is no longer a mystery," He explained simply as he reached them.

"Who?" Logan asked as he headed after the professor.

"I think you've already guessed," He replied simply, not glancing back at Logan.

"Magneto? But she's nothing like him," He protested, finding it strange that a girl he'd taken such a liking to could be related to someone so evil.

"In contrary to the common saying Logan, sometimes the apple can fall a long way from the tree," The professor replied.


	5. 5 Avoiding Tactics

Aliana woke the next morning, feeling the least relaxed she'd ever been in her life, her dreams had been full of nightmares of Magneto, she couldn't refer to him as her father, coming back for her. Now she knew who he was, and how powerful he was she was terrified, not that she wanted people to see how terrified she was.

Taking a few deep meditative breaths she got up and went and got dressed, putting on jeans and a t-shirt, not in any mood to do any training. She walked down the stairs and in to the kitchen, not even noticing Kitty sitting at the table.

"Hey, you alright?" She asked, watching Aliana search for cereal.

"As good as I can be I suppose. I take it the professor told you," She said, finding the cereal and putting it in a bowl before adding milk and heading to the table to sit with Kitty.

"All the teachers and the older students know. We figured it might freak out some of the younger kids," Kitty replied to which Aliana replied with, "well it freaked me out enough."

"You know that no-body thinks any different of you because of it don't you?" Kitty said, looking at Aliana, her toast forgotten.

"I guess… but that doesn't explain why Logan's started avoiding me, I walked in to the gym yesterday evening and before I even spoke he just upped and left," Aliana replied as Jean walked in, smiling at the two of them.

"Logan has a lot of problems with Magneto, give him time," Kitty said, going back to her toast.

"Is Logan avoiding you?" Jean asked as she joined the girls to which Aliana nodded. "He'll be teaching at 10 in the gym so if you catch him then he won't be able to avoid you."

"I can't then, the professor asked me to take a group of students for martial arts, I think he's trying to get me to join the teaching staff," Aliana replied, raising her eyebrows.

"He's probably trying to distract you, tell you what always takes my mind off things. The danger room," Jean said, leaning on a chair.

"The danger room?" Aliana asked, not having yet been to the lower parts of the castle.

"A big virtual room, it's quite a lot of fun," Kitty replied as she smiled.

"A virtual room, see I prefer my opponents to be real," Aliana replied.

"Oh the danger room seems real enough, you can actually get quite badly hurt in there, we also use it to practice our abilities although I suppose Scott's been teaching you outside seeing as the weather's so nice," Jean explained.

"Well it is particularly nice outside," She replied, shrugging and smiling.

"If you say so, when you need the break though, just let me know," Jean said as she nodded to the girls before grabbing an apple and heading out of the room.

"I'll see you later Kitty," Aliana said, standing up and heading out as well, planning on fitting a run in, hoping to possibly bump in to Logan in the grounds.

As soon as she entered the grounds she spotted Logan on the far side and headed straight over to him.

"Logan!" she called pausing as he turned glanced and headed away, "hey! Hey!" She shouted at him, watching him as he ignored her call and shoving her hands in her jacket pockets in annoyance.

That evening having been stuck in the gym with Logan avoiding her all afternoon and terrifying some of the younger students in her bad mood she followed him out in to the grounds where a few students were hanging around practicing things, one of them working on some archery.

"Logan! Stop ignoring me!" She shouted to which she got no response. Instead she turned to the boy practicing his archery and said quietly, "can I borrow that?" to which he handed her his bow and an arrow.

She nocked it, took aim and shot the arrow so it hit the tree and embedded in it, straight in front of Logan's face, exactly where he would have been in half a second.

"I said, stop ignoring me," she replied, walking over to him after handing the bow back to the stunned mutant boy who just stared at her.

"Are you crazy?" Logan shouted at her as he took the arrow out of the tree.

"No, I'm angry and annoyed," she replied, standing right in front of him.

"Enough to try and kill me?" He asked her, looking down at the young woman in front of him who seemed to have grown a few inches in her anger.

"No, enough to warrant using extreme techniques to get your attention," she replied, "you've been avoiding me and I know why. I'm nothing like my father. I barely even know him so whilst you're judging me on the fact that I'm related to him remember that I never knew him and, although you'd like to think differently, I'm on your side." She finished, walking back towards the mansion.

"Wait, where did you learn to shoot an arrow like that?" Logan asked, looking from the arrow in his hand to the momentarily paused back to the retreating 19 year old.

"My training," she replied simply before carrying on back to the mansion.

"Hey," Logan said, finding Aliana sitting in the living room later on, still in her training gear with her bow propped up against the side of the chair.

"Stopped avoiding me then?" She asked, looking up from the book she currently had her nose buried in.

"Yes, this training you did, how extensive was it?" Logan asked, sitting in a chair across from her.

"I was home school, 6 hours a day was spent on training, another 6 hours on school work and I had weekends free, so it was pretty extensive. On weekends I spent my Saturday morning in the gym working on my gymnastic skills and the afternoon doing what I wanted to do then Sunday was my free time," she explained, going back to her book.

"That explains the blatant skill in nearly everything you do," Logan replied.

"_Nearly_ everything?" She asked looking up.

"You've been here for over two weeks and the only people you've spoken, unless teaching them, are me, Kitty, Jean, Scott and the professor. You're not exactly a people person," He said.

"That coming from a self-proclaimed hermit," She said, putting her book down and looking at Logan with her eyebrows raised.

"I suppose it is, but that means it's not a good thing," Logan replied, smiling a little at her to which she smiled a little and shook her head. She wouldn't admit it but she quite licked Logan, he was like her in some ways and yet in others he was different enough to make her like him which didn't happen very often.


	6. 6 The Past Come aKnocking

A knock at the door a few days later roused Aliana and Logan from their intensive television watching whilst everyone was in lessons and the two of them headed to the door. Logan answered it and a small quite old man in an odd looking outfit walked in the door, bowing to Logan and then looking at Aliana.

"Oh no," she said simply as she bowed the small man who bowed at her.

"I heard you were here Aliana and I was in town so I thought I should visit my most accomplished student," The old man said with a strong eastern accent.

"That's very nice of you Sensei; might I ask why you are in New York?" Aliana asked, her tone suddenly sounding extremely formal.

"There is no need for formality child, I was here visiting an old friend of mine and heard you had been looking for jobs so I came in search to see how you have fared," He replied before adding, "it seems you have fared well."

"Thank you Sensei, well, this is Logan, Logan this my Sensei, Sensei Chi-kang, he may look old but I have yet to beat him," Aliana said, introducing her Sensei to Logan who nodded, eyeing the man with suspicion.

Once the introductions were made the sensei stood in the middle of the mat area, facing Aliana. He looked fragile but Aliana wasn't fooled, she knew that if he wanted to he could bring her down in 3 moves.

Both of them followed each other's breathing and movements with their eyes, a silent crowd of teachers on the side lines. Neither of them moved for a few moments, almost as if they were having a mental battle before both launched at each other at the same time, both a blur to the onlookers unless pausing to catch their breaths. The two of them carried on before in a quick movement Aliana was on the ground, breathing heavily, her Sensei standing with a foot on her chest.

"That was so unfair," She said as he got let her go and held out a hand to help her up.

"There are some moves even a sensei keeps secret," He replied before bowing to which Aliana responded with a bow of her own, "you were close many times that fight," he added when they stood up.

"I was nowhere close, you had me at every move," She replied as they headed over to the others.

"You always were hard on yourself young one, even as a child, but it seems to have paid off, now I must sort out a hotel as I can tell you may need me, remember…" he said, whispering the last part, inaudible to the others before turning to leave.

"Sensei I'm sure there's a spare room somewhere here," Aliana said, stopping him before he could leave.

"I am sure there is, but you must not feel as I am encroaching on your space. I will be back tomorrow, we will work," he said, bowing to everyone again before heading out.

"So, he's the reason you can beat me?" Logan asked, walking over to Aliana who simply grinned at him before heading away.

A day later Aliana sat on the living room floor having pushed all the chairs and sofas to the side. Her Sensei sat in front of her, both with their hands on their knees.

"I understand the past few days have been extremely difficult for you, so today I want to spend it focusing entirely on the inner peace you seem to have lost. You're erratic and predictable so close your eyes and take deep calming breaths, pushing everything out of your mind and keep it clear," He said, guiding her, as he had done many times before, through a focusing relaxation process.

He knew of course that doing this would help her control her own mutant abilities, having been the only person, aside from her mother, who she confided in when they developed.

Outside the window Logan watched the two of them from the field, noticing how much she trusted him.

"You're jealous," Jean said as she appeared at his side.

"I'm not jealous," He replied simply.

"You are. I can see it. She trusts him whole heartedly and you wish she trusted you like that," Jean replied, smiling as she Logan glanced away,

"She's a child," Logan said simply, turning away from the window and heading away.

"A child that makes you smile," Jean replied.

"She's his daughter, I just don't want to see him hurt her, she seems to have been hurt enough as it is," He replied.

"Then watch out for her, that's all you can do. You have a class to teach," Jean said, patting him on the shoulder before leaving.

That afternoon Aliana headed out to her session with Scott, finding that now she'd re-established the peace that had always been there before her mother's death it came to her extremely quickly. She'd been regaining it in New York but the events from the other day had thrown her all over again.

"You look well rested," Scott said as he spotted her coming towards him.

"I feel like a new person. Having Sensei here is doing wonders," she replied, jumping up on to the wall nearby and sitting down.

"Good, well the professor was telling me that Magneto once aimed to turn that satellite there so I thought today that would be a good thing to start with," Scott said as he smiled at her.

"I can always give it a go," Aliana said, standing up again and following Scott's instructions to try and turn the satellite. The first few attempts gave no result.

Aliana, feeling herself getting a little frustrated as she knew she could do it, closed her eyes and instead of focusing on the satellite with her eyes focused on it with her mind, pulling herself unknowingly in to the state of relaxation she had been in during meditation.

Opening her eyes she watched as the satellite turned to face her almost without any force what so ever.

"You'll be more powerful than your father if you keep that level of focus," The professor said, having been watching them from a set of patio doors.

"I don't want to be more powerful than him… I just don't want to be like him," Aliana explained, receiving an understanding nod from the professor before he left them to the teaching.


	7. 7 Out of Grounds

"Ali!" Kitty called, heading out the mansion to find Aliana who was currently teaching one of the younger kids how to use a bow after being asked.

"Hey! How's classes?" Aliana asked, propping her bow up against a tree.

"Classes are over and I want to go shopping and you're coming with me," Kitty said, smiling as she grabbed her hand and pulled her up to the mansion.

"Um, I don't know, I haven't left the grounds since… you know," She replied, pulling back a little on Kitty's hand. It had been a few days since Sensei Chi-Kang had left and Aliana had felt that as each day wore on her state of relaxation was slipping further and further out of reach, even with her hour of meditation every morning.

"Even more reason to get out of here, come on, Bobby's coming too, you know Iceman," Kitty said, slowing inching Aliana towards the castle.

"Fine, if it'll shut you up," She finally agreed, following Kitty up to the mansion.

"Erm, you're not going with them are you?" Logan asked, standing in the doorway as the two of them reached it.

"Yeah, it's been over a week Logan, he hasn't tried anything," Aliana replied, looking at him from below her fringe.

"He still might. He might even be waiting for you to leave the grounds," He replied, raising his eyebrows as he watched her.

"So you're gonna keep me under lock and key for all my life? I'm going, feel free to come along," Aliana replied, turning and heading after the other.

"If you're going, then you're gonna have to disguise yourself," Logan said, crossing his arms and leaning on a wall looking at her.

"No, if I get attacked I'd rather get attacked as me," She replied before getting in the car and heading in to town with the others.

A few hours later having spent a while wandering around with Kitty pulling her in and out of various shoe shops the three of them, stopped to watch a demonstration in one of the parks.

Bobby and Kitty, having gotten distracted by a dance demonstration, found Aliana leaning on a post near a martial arts demonstration watching them fight. As she stood there she pointed out to herself every move they did wrong and every foot that was out of place, not noticing a cocky looking black belt nearby watching her.

"You're way better," Kitty said, leaning next to Aliana and smiling at her.

"I know, they're pretty poor, no control over their emotions," She replied looking at Kitty and smiling as the black belt moved to the front and asked if anyone would like to have a go.

"Go on, show them how to do it," Bobby said as he nodded towards the demonstration area.

"No, I'm not gonna show off to a bunch of strangers," Aliana replied looking at him.

"She'll do it!" Kitty shouted pointing to her as she smiled.

"I hate you," She replied as she got shoved towards the demonstration area.

"Would you like a lesson?" The black belt guy asked as he looked at her and immediately judged her. She was small after all.

"No, I just want a fight," She replied heading on to the mat the had there and turning to the black belt.

"With me?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"With you," she replied simply.

"Go on Ali!" Kitty shouted, standing right next to the mat and watching her new found friend watch the guy in front of her.

The two of them faced each other and bowed before the black belt sent a kick straight at Aliana's head which she easily blocked and twisted him, sending him flying to the floor with barely a movement.

"You're rushing," She said simply as she watched him get up. He then aimed a few punches at her head which she dodged before attempting a kick to her side which she again caught and twisted threw upwards, sending him flipping backwards.

"Now you're just not thinking," she replied as he went to punch again which she blocked and twisted herself sending his arm twisting round his back before throwing him to the floor.

"That's impossible," He said as Aliana helped him up.

"I'm a fully qualified martial arts instructor, anything's possible," She said before bowing to him again and walking towards Kitty and Bobby.

"That was awesome," Kitty said, smiling as she patted Aliana on the back.

"Yeah right, that was nothing compared to Sensei Kai-Chang… He's a pure genius," she said as the three of them headed away to find a coffee shop.

Little did they know that their activities were being closely watched by what appeared to be an elderly gentleman in a suit.


	8. 8 Ambushed

The three of them piled in to the car to head back to the mansion. It seemed that a day out of the mansion was exactly what she'd needed.

As they headed out of the town and off to the side road Bobby braked sharply sending the other two flying forwards. A road block sat in front of them, unfortunately placed on the only road back to the mansion.

"I'll go see what's going on," Aliana said, unbuckling and getting out of the car.

"Excuse me, what's going on?" She asked as she approached the people there on foot, all of which turned to her and pointed a gun, making her take a few steps back.

"Hands in the air!" One guy shouted at her as the other two were made to get out the car and stand next to her.

"So, you're the new inmate at the school? A little old to be a pupil aren't you but a little too young for a teacher," A man said, walking over to her and looking at her.

"Well who are you to ask?" Aliana replied, not feeling quite as confident as she could be if there weren't 20 or so guns facing her. 2 she could have dealt with easily but 20 were way too much.

"my name my dear, is Dr William Stryker," Her replied causing Kitty and Bobby to send each other a look, remembering what had happened last time.

"Not very smart for a doctor… Setting up an ambush so close to the school, I know if I scream someone will hear me," She replied.

"You won't scream if your two friends here are to live. I'm intrigued by you. You come with me and I'll let your friends go free," He said, walking straight up to her and looking at her, they were almost eye to eye.

"Don't Ali, trust me, just don't," Kitty replied but she knew Aliana was much too stubborn to agree, she'd do anything to save a couple of lives.

"They go free," She said simply, nodding as she looked at him at which point one of the men walked up behind her and knocked her unconscious as were both Kitty and Bobby.

By the time the two of them came around both Kitty and Bobby were lying at the side of a completely empty road, the car appeared to be parked nearby with the doors open.

The two of them simply sat up and looked at each other before racing back to the car and speeding back to the mansion.

Aliana sat in the middle of a darkened room, she'd come too in the chair she was in but hadn't been able to move from it, the straps and the chair made from plastic, obviously someone had been doing their research.

The door opened and the guy from earlier walked in, straight to her, the dimmed light suddenly becoming brighter and stinging her eyes that had become accustomed to the dingy light.

"Well, look at you all holed up in here with every bit of metal out of your range. I've done a lot of research on you my dear and I want to use you for a little bit of research. This little vial my dear," he said, holding a vial of clear fluid in front of her face, "has been engineered to wipe every single memory from the past year, you'll remember nothing of the x-men, nothing of Logan, nothing of those friends of yours, just nothing."

"No it doesn't, it's impossible to synthesise something like that," She said, unable to take her eyes off the vial in front of her.

"It would be, if I didn't have contacts," He replied, turning the vial so the needle was upwards and tapping the air out of it.

"You can't do this, he won't let you," Aliana replied as he moved the point towards her arm.

"Who won't let me? Charles Xavier? Wolverine?" Stryker asked as he pushed the needle in and injected the contents of the vial.

"My father won't let you," She replied before the world blacked out again leaving a very confused looking Stryker watching her.

"Stryker? Not Magneto?" Logan asked as he stood in the office with a couple of other teachers, Kitty and Bobby in the chairs in front of the desk.

"Definitely Stryker, he seemed insistent on her as well, maybe because she hasn't been here long," Kitty replied, sounding a little timid under Logan's gaze.

"Well he's definitely after her for a reason. We've been so preoccupied with Magneto that Stryker didn't even come in to my mind, I wonder if he knows who she is," Xavier pondered before the door crashed in and Magneto himself walked in the room.

"I demand to see my daughter. I've given her a week and now I demand to see her," He shouted as he walked straight to Xavier.

"Old friend, I would have no calm's about letting you see her if she were here," he replied, looking Magneto straight in the eye.

"Where is she?" He asked.

"We don't know," Logan said simply, leaning on the wall, watching Magneto with a wary eye.

"We got ambushed by Stryker a few hours ago," Bobby said, his hand on top of Kitty's for support.

"I'll find her, he won't touch her if he knows what's good for himself," Magneto said, turning and leaving the room with as much for a flourish as he entered with.

"Well, we have magneto on our side now," Xavier said as the rest of them headed out to attempt to plan a rescue mission.


	9. 9 Time to Make a Break for it

Aliana woke up in what appeared to be a hospital room; white washed walls and white furniture reflected the light back at her causing her to take a moment for her eyes to adjust.

"How are you my dear?" A man asked, looking down at her with a kindly smile.

"I feel… odd. Where am I?" She asked, her eyes still looking round the room, taking in everything.

"You're safe, that's all you need to know. Now can you tell me your name," He asked, sitting down in a chair next to her and looking at her closely.

"Of course I can, it's… it's…" she tried, her voice trailing off as her own name eluded her, "why can't I remember?" she asked after a moment.

"It's okay, there was a slight accident. Your name is Emily." He said, squeezing her arm gently before adding, "I'll come back with dinner later, don't leave the room, I don't want you getting lost," as he walked out, closing the door behind him.

"Emily? Emily…" Aliana tested out the name, it didn't feel right nor did it sound right to her. "What's going on?" she asked herself, looking around, her distrusting nature automatically coming to the forefront.

"It was too strong but that will work. She believes her name to be Emily," Stryker said as he appeared in the control room. A younger man turned in the chair and smiled at him.

"This can be used to our benefit. If she believes she lives here we can train her as our own. Her ability is strong, we can use that," He said to which Stryker smirked a little.

Over the next few days Aliana, was reintroduced to her ability and trained to make it strong, somehow her skill set had remained. Her fighting abilities amazed and astounded the group of mutants that Stryker had been training, the only problem they had was that her attitude kept her from trusting them. Not that she let them in on that.

As time wore on she became more and more untrusting. Something was wrong with the set up. Not only would no one tell her about her past but they also never let her leave on her own. Someone always accompanied her.

"It's been a month, surely something must have come up by now," Logan asked as he stood in the professors office, Jean and Scott also standing nearby.

"You would think. I can't locate her, not Stryker. I believe he may be trying to convert her so he can use her against us," The professor explained as he sat behind his desk. The atmosphere in the mansion had been bleak. With Aliana still missing and Magneto barging in whenever her wanted the students were in a constant state of fear.

Bobby and Kitty hadn't left the grounds since it had happened and were constantly asking how to help. Kitty had taken it upon herself to do background searched on the internet, hacking in to a few government databases to see what she could find whist Bobby appeared to be taking it personally. He blamed himself for not stopping her.

Logan's bad moods had gotten out of control and he now didn't turn up for most of his classes whist students and teachers alike tended to skirt around him.

Everyone was frustrated with how slow the search was going but so far nothing had turned up.

Aliana sat in the main room of the complex she'd been living in. It still didn't feel right. 2 months of training hadn't made the place feel any more homely.

"Emily, I need to leave for an hour. Dixon's in charge," Stryker said as he walked in. Aliana glanced up at Dixon. He was a 6 foot 4 body builder type of person with an equally bad attitude.

"Joy," She replied as she looked at Stryker and raised her eyebrows. He simply shook his head and walked out of the complex.

Aliana stood up and headed to the corridor that led to the bedrooms and offices. She'd been waiting for this for a few weeks. Everything seemed much too off and she had decided to raid his office and make a run for it. She knew he was using her for something and hoped to find out.

Popping in to her room she retrieved her bag from under her bed before going to Stryker's office. She'd made sure she knew how to pick his lock last time he left the complex. After a few sweaty minutes she was in and making a beeline straight for the filing cabinet, popping the lock on it after a second.

Every name in the filing cabinet she'd heard before except for one, right at the beginning. 'Aliana'. Opening it briefly she scanned the document, it seemed familiar but she didn't have much time to look any closer as the unmistakable sound of Dixon's footsteps echoed up the corridor.

Shoving the file in her bag she made for the window, pulling it open to its fullest. The ledge outside was small and the room was 2 stories high. Easing herself through the window, thankful she was only small, she took a few steps on to the ledge before jumping, summersaulting a few times and landing, rolling out of the fall just as an alarm started.

She paused and glanced up at the building before racing down the road, she guessed she'd have maybe a half hour head start before Stryker got back and her first plan of action was New York. The file in her bag had mention New York and she had to find out what was going on. If she could find out who this girl was she'd be might be able to get a clue as to what had happened.

The train station was packed when she turned up which was good, it would make it harder for her to be followed.

The train to New York took all of her savings from the two months from what she could pilfer from people. It was a long shot but it was better than living another day in confusion. She took her seat on the train and pulled out the file, flicking through it. It seemed familiar to her and yet she couldn't quite place any of it.


	10. 10 Who's Aliana

As the train pulled up to the station Aliana followed the crowds of people to the entrance, heading through the ticket barrier.

It took all of her will power to use the skills she'd learnt and created a distraction in the station during which she swiped one man's wallet, pulling the money from it before dropping it on the floor and heading to a taxi.

"Hi, how much is it to Westchester?" She asked through the window to a driver who turned and looked at her dishevelled state.

"$50," He said simply in a rough sort of voice.

"Thanks," She replied, getting in the back of the car and handing over the money before sitting back for the journey. A slight feeling of guilt overcame her from swiping the money from the man in the station but it was her only choice.

The journey took a little under 20 minutes and she got out the car in the middle of a small town, glancing around as she wandered towards a coffee shop, entirely lost now she was there. The file had said something about Xavier's Academy but she didn't have a clue how to find it.

"Hi there, do you know where I can find the Xavier Academy?" Aliana asked the man behind the coffee counter.

"Sorry hun, you have to order a drink or go, manager's orders," The guy replied, looking at her a little apologetically.

"I'll have a hot chocolate then," She replied, figuring she might as well have a drink.

"That'll be $5," He said, tapping it in to the machine. Aliana went straight to her bag rifling through it to see if she could find some change.

"I only have $3," She said after a moment before a guy behind her said, "I'll get it for her."

"Thanks but…" She started before he interrupted with, "you haven't got the money for it, I do," and handed it over to the guy who handed her the hot chocolate.

"Thank you," she said simply, turning to the guy and smiling.

"Not a problem. Did I hear you ask about Xavier's?" He asked, leading her back to a table.

"Yeah, do you know it?" Aliana asked, sipping her hot chocolate.

"Yeah, it's down the road to the right, it's quite a long way," He said as She stood up, her hot chocolate still in her hand.

"It's okay, I'll be fine walking it," She replied as she headed out.

An hour later Aliana stood outside the gates of what appeared to her to be a big stately home. The sign on the side of the gate read 'Xavier's Academy for Gifted Youngsters'.

"So do I go in or do I wait… Stryker will be on my tail by now so I suppose the answer is to go in," Aliana said to herself before pushing a gate open and heading in to the grounds, her footsteps leading her up the driveway to the large building.

It took her a few moments before she plucked up the courage to knock on the door which opened to reveal a woman who stared at her for a moment before standing aside to let her in.

"The professor will want to see you straight away," She said simply.

"The professor?" Aliana asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Yes, the professor, Professor Xavier," she said before looking closely at Aliana, "Do you remember me?" She asked.

Aliana simply shook her head as she looked at the woman.

"Aliana, it's me, it's Jean," She said looking at the every increasingly confused girl.

"I… it…" she started but never finished, looking so confused she was almost upset.

"Let's get you to the professor," Jean said simply, placing a hand on Aliana's shoulders and guiding her down a corridor and in to an office that looked extremely homely. The corridors were quite but Aliana guessed that was because it was almost Christmas and as it was a school, most of the students would probably be at home.

"Aliana?" The professor asked as she walked in with Jean, he appeared almost as shocked as she did confused.

"Why do you keep calling me Aliana?" She asked, looking between him and Jean.

"Because that's your name," The professor said as Jean motioned for her to take a seat.

"Look, I don't know if you're telling me the truth or if this is some sick joke Stryker set up. I don't remember anything from before 2 months ago, all I know is that I found this," Aliana said, pulling out the file and handing it to the professor.

There was a short moment of silence before the professor looked from the file to Aliana.

"This is going to be difficult for you. I'll warn you that now. The people here already know you and have been searching for you for the last 2 months. I believe Stryker may have erased your memories but there is a possibility they are still in the back of your mind. If you want me to, I can have a look but it might take some time. A matter of weeks or months," He explained looking at her.

"Months?" She asked, looking a little dejected, she'd hoped to find out sooner than that.

"Unfortunately, yes. Your room is still as it was when you left it, Jean will show you," He said.

"Okay," She replied standing up and picking up her bag before following Jean out the door and up the corridor towards the rooms.

"It might be a bit awkward for a few weeks, the professor will let people know you're here and what's happened but it still might be awkward," She explained as they walked.

"I figured as much," was Aliana's reply.


	11. 11 Familiarity

Aliana woke up the next morning feeling entirely confused as to where she was. Everything seemed familiar and yet completely strange. She opened the curtains and the window, letting the cold air blast her in the face. Taking in a deep breath she closed the window again and got dressed before looking around her room. Picking up the Sais on the desk she examined them, placing a finger on the point before putting them back down and heading out.

Jean had given her a short tour the day before and so she headed to the kitchen, pulling out a bottle of water before making her way, with only 1 wrong turn, to the gym that also acted as a training room.

She headed in before running a hand along a beam in there. Stryker had brought in a gymnastics coach to teach her gymnastics, hoping it would increase her martial arts ability. It hadn't. She had simply enjoying the feeling of flying.

"Jean said you were back," A gruff voice said from the entrance making Aliana jump and turn around to find herself facing a rather rough looking man to match the gruff voice.

"I never used to make you jump like that, must be losing your touch," He said, walking over to a bench and chucking his jacket on it.

"I'm not losing my touch," She replied, almost hostile towards the man who had just walked in and was talking to her a good friend.

"You never have. Look kid, if it's any help, I know what you're going to, the whole not remembering thing," He said.

"How would you know what it feels like to not have a clue about anything?" She asked, looking at him as if he were insane.

"I've been there, because of Stryker as well. You wanna talk, come find me, ask someone for Logan," He said before nodding to her, picking up his jacket again and heading out.

"Logan," Aliana muttered to herself before turning back to the beam and pulling herself up on to it, taking a moment to find her balance before walking along it, turning around and walking back along it before doing a cartwheel and doing a flip off of it.

It was all simple moves and twists but she didn't feel like doing anything too complicated, partially because her mind was on other things.

Sure Stryker hadn't tried to do what he'd done to her with Logan. Maybe trying to retrain an older person had been harder than a 19 year old girl and it only took her a few moments before she plucked up the courage to head out after Logan, intrigued by him.

She soon found him in the living room but hesitated in the doorway, not wanting to disturb him.

"Don't loiter in the doorway. You make the place look untidy," He said without turning to her. She took a breath and headed in, sitting in a chair across from him, folding her legs underneath her.

"How?" She asked simply.

"How what? You have to be specific when you ask people questions," Logan replied, looking at her.

"How did he make you forget?" came her reply, leaning on the arm of the chair to watch him.

"I don't remember, how did he do it to you?" He replied, turning off the TV and turning to look at her as she shrugged.

"It was something about some drug. The professor thinks my memories might still be in my head somewhere," She replied with a slight sideways smile.

"I get snippets now, hopefully yours are easier to reach," He replied before adding, "Do you want to go and train? You might still be able to beat me with those Sais of yours."

"I couldn't use them. I had a look at them earlier, they don't feel like me," Aliana replied.

"Are you sure about that?" Logan replied before standing up and heading out the room.

Aliana simply sat there, waiting for Logan to return. He simply confused her. The whole look of him reminded her of Dixon but Dixon was a thug. Logan appeared to be quite kind under all his gruffness.

He returned a moment later holding her Sais by the blade so the handle was pointing at her.

"I don't know… I've never trained with them," She said simply as she looked at them.

"You're an amazing martial artist, not only with these but with a lot more. Just take them and see," He said, nodding towards them. Aliana looked from him to the Sais before reaching out and taking them, the weight of them feeling so familiar it was hugging an old toy from your childhood.

She twisted them round in her hands a little bit before flipping them so the blades were down the sides of her arms, the movement feeling so normal.

"Shall we?" She asked, smiling at Logan before heading outside with him, the chill air sending a shiver down her spine.

"Are you made of metal?" She asked after a moment, having been taught to channel in to her ability when she was about to have a fight.

"Yes, can you feel it?" He asked with a slight grin.

"Quite strongly. In fact, very strongly," Aliana replied, looking at him questioningly.

"Your ability's gotten stronger. Now are we fighting or talking?" He asked, making Aliana grin as she turned to him and crouched down, twisting the Sais around her hands.

The two of them fought until the Professor found them in the grounds, both laying on their backs in the cold having worn each other out.

"Aliana, did you want me to try and find some of those memories for you?" He asked making the two of them quickly get up and brush themselves off before turning to him.

"Please, I'll catch you later," she said, smiling at Logan before heading inside with the professor.


	12. 12 Meet the Parent

"Any luck yet?" Logan asked as he found Aliana sitting on the beam in the gym, staring around the room.

"A little bit. I got some small flashbacks… one in this room. I was actually fighting you and well… you were losing," She said, looking at him and smiling.

"That had to be something you remember didn't it," He said, smiling as he walked over to her perch.

"I like it, it was quite funny, I got other bits too. My mum singing a song to me, my sensei teaching me meditation… it's strange how much I could have forgotten," she explained as she smiled.

"It's good to hear. Maybe you'll start remembering things on your own now. So, why the fascination with the beam all of a sudden?" He asked, having found her near the beam every time he'd come in.

"I learnt some gymnastics. Stryker assumed it would help with my training. I personally found the experience of flying quite enjoyable," She replied, swinging herself on to the beam and doing a handstand on it.

"Did he know you enjoyed it so much?" He asked, watching her right herself and do a cartwheel.

"No, if he knew I enjoyed it he'd stop me from doing it. I made out it was a chore," She replied, jumping off one side of the beam.

"I thought he'd have wanted to keep you as happy as possible," Logan replied, leaning on the beam as Aliana pulled on a jacket.

"I never particularly trusted him anyway; think he caught on to that when I tried to sneak off about a week in to training. I do however now know how to pick locks, and jump out of 3rd floor windows," she said, smiling as she headed out of the gym with Logan, aiming on grabbing some lunch.

"Good to know," He replied, walking with her until Scott appeared in the corridor in front of them.

"The professor wants the two of you in his office now," he said nodding to Aliana in greeting.

"Nice glasses," she said as she nodded back at him.

"Nice eyes," Scott replied to which she smiled before heading with Logan to the professor's office, hoping her grumbling stomach could wait for a few minutes.

The two of them entered the office and paused as the man in the middle of the room turned to look at Aliana, looking instantly relieved to see her.

"What's going on?" She asked, looking between the man in front of her and the professor.

"This is Eric, he didn't believe you were safe so I had to send for you," The professor replied.

"And that should make a difference how?" She asked simply.

"He's your father," Logan said, causing Aliana's eyebrows to raise as she looked at the man in front of her.

"He's my father?" Aliana asked, looking at Magneto and folding her arms as if judging him.

"What's she doing?" He asked, turning to the professor before turning to look back at his daughter.

"Judging you I think," He replied simply.

"I don't make judgements. I make intelligent guesses," She said simply before adding, "and my intelligent guess isn't letting me trust you… yet."

She turned and headed out the office and back to the kitchen, needing something to eat. She didn't quite understand why but she just didn't like the idea of her father being there, let alone getting to know him.

"Aliana Alexis Davenport you do not walk away from your father like that!" Eric shouted, walking in to the corridor.

Aliana paused and turned to face him, one eyebrow raised. "Alexis Davenport? Wow I really don't like hearing my name," she said simply.

"You took your mother's name. Now all I want is to talk to you," He said. Aliana stood there for a moment before nodding and allowing him to lead her outside.

Logan watched from the window as Aliana sat in the grounds with Magneto. The two of them had been out there for an hour, apparently just chatting. He watched as Magneto stood up, kissed Aliana on the head and walked inside leaving her where she was.

"I won't take her with me, she appears to be happy here," He said to the professor who was with Logan.

"That's good to hear," The professor replied.

"But, as soon as that changes, I'll come and get her, know that," He added before sweeping out of the building.

"Don't worry, there's no chance of that," Aliana said as she appeared in the doorway once Magneto was gone, a smile on her face.

"So how are you two then? Planning any father daughter days out?" Logan asked, glancing back out the window.

"It takes more than an hour long chat to make me trust someone. I'm happy to let him try and be a father but just because he's trying doesn't mean he will be," Aliana explained as the professor left the room, giving the two of them some space to talk.

"Logan, you know, just because he's in my life now doesn't change anything, I'm not gonna change," She said, walking over to the window.

"You're gonna become like him. He twists his own words so they sound amazing but he'll try and take you from us," Logan said, turning and looking at her.

"I'm not foolish. I may not remember my past but I'm not an idiot. I just want to know my father. If you had that chance wouldn't you want exactly the same thing?" She asked.

"No," Logan replied simply before going back to staring out the window.

"I thought you were at least slightly human… turns out you're not," Aliana said, before turning and walking out the room, her hands balled in to fists, her anger causing the lamp to fly against the wall near to Logan's head as she went.


	13. 13 Remembering Friends

The professor found Aliana the next day firing arrows at a target out the back of the grounds.

"Rediscovered your talent for aim?" He asked, wheeling up next to her.

"Rediscovered how frustrating Logan can be more like," She replied, firing another arrow and hitting the target square on.

"He's never seen eye to eye with Eric, it's no wonder he's a little worried," He explained, placing a hand on Aliana's arm and making her turn to face him.

"A little worried? He doesn't want me to know my father. That's not human," She said, leaning the bow against a bench nearby.

"I think he just doesn't want you to turn in to him. You and Eric are the only two people able to hold him at your mercy. I just don't think he wants you to want to do that," The professor said before adding, "Now are we going to try and get some more of those memories back?"

"Sure," Aliana replied, putting the bow back in the shed with the arrows and taking the professor's chair, pushing him up to the mansion.

That evening Aliana pulled on a jacket and headed outside for a run around the grounds, knowing for sure that Logan would be inside. Her hand when to a small locket that she had round her neck. The professor had told her to wear it at all moments as it held a small tracker inside it just in case Stryker tried anything.

She was honestly surprised nothing had happened so far. She's been at the mansion for 3 days and yet nothing had happened so far. It wasn't like Stryker to wait and the lull in activity confused her. After the last session with the professor she now had most of her memories of the mansion back, she remembered Kitty and Bobby and the visit from her sensei but she didn't remember her mother and that hurt her.

Sitting on the bench outside she looked at the bare trees dotted around the grounds, jumping as someone placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey," She said, smiling as she saw the now very familiar red head.

"How's it going?" Jean asked, sitting next to Aliana and looking at the young woman next to her.

"Slowly I think, I remember this place now, I just don't remember what came before," She replied half leaning on Jean.

"You'll remember in time. The professor only kick starts the process, you'll start remembering things on your own soon," She said, patting Aliana's arm before adding, "Do you want to train to take your mind off it? There's no one in the danger room."

"Sounds like exactly what I need," She replied, smiling as she stood up and headed inside with Jean, their feet leading them straight to the danger room.

An hour later the two of them emerged from the danger room, coated in sweat but smiling. They had spent the hour fighting a make believe opponent just to give Aliana the chance to release her frustration.

As they headed out of the lift in to the main part of the mansion Aliana was immediately rushed by a mix of brunette perkiness and blonde chill.

"I can't believe you came back and we only found out this morning. I made Bobby pick me up so we could come back early," The brunette said, hugging Aliana as tightly as was humanely possible.

"I think you're crushing her," Bobby said, peeling Kitty off of Aliana who immediately took in a big breath before hugging the two of them.

"I honestly didn't know who you two were until this morning so even you had been here I wouldn't have known," Aliana replied, smiling and waving at Jean as she headed away with the two others, aiming for the game room.

The game room was Bobby's favourite haunt. It was basically a small room with a pool table in it. Aliana had never been good at pool so she tended to watch whilst the others played.

"So what exactly happened?" Kitty asked as the door closed and the Bobby sorted out the balls on the table.

"Well, from what we figure out, Stryker wiped my memory. He spent the past two months trying to train me. It's a shame I don't trust easily," She replied, smiling as she passed them cues from the rack on the wall.

"So what about the past few days? The professor said you've been here a few days," Bobby said, taking the cue from Aliana.

"I stole a file from Stryker and it had this place in it. I didn't recognise the name though. Turned out it was my own file. The professor spent the past few days trying to get my memories back," She explained, flipping a coin, "who calls heads?"

"I'm heads," Kitty replied.

"Bobby's first then," She said, putting the coin back on the side of the table before carrying on, "anyway, since I've been back, I've agreed to get to know Eric and Logan's angry at me because of it."

"Hold on, you agreed to get to know Magneto?" Bobby asked, stopping mid shot and looking at her.

"He is my dad, I guess I want to give him a chance," She replied, shrugging as she leant on the wall.

"Well, I would if he were my dad. There aren't many of us who are accepted by our parents, we should give them a chance if they want to try," Kitty replied, looking purposefully at Bobby, knowing his parents didn't accept his mutation very well.

"I suppose, it still seems odd. Does that Magneto's gonna be hanging around the school?" Bobby asked as he looked at Aliana.

"I highly doubt it. I think the other students might freak out a bit," She replied, laughing a little before the three of them went back to game at hand.


	14. 14 Trouble for Aliana

Aliana watched from her window as students filed back in through the gates, the holidays over. It had been 2 weeks since she'd arrived back at the mansion. Christmas had been and gone and Magneto had visited the mansion nearly every other day to try and rekindle some kind of bond with her.

"Hey kiddo," Logan said, standing in the doorway of her room.

"Decided to talk to me again?" She asked, not looking away from the window as students hugged each other and exchanged presents and gifts after the Christmas break.

"I guess so," He replied, shrugging and leaning against the doorframe.

"You ignore me and avoid me for two weeks and all you can say is 'I guess so'? I had to talk to my father for an hour to convince him not to pull me out of the school because he could tell something was up. Do you still think I shouldn't let him try and be a father because at least he's trying and not just running away from the problem," Aliana shouted at him, standing up and facing Logan, her fist clenched as she glared at Logan.

"So I've run away from some problems, it doesn't make me a bad person," Logan replied, not realising that he was just making her angrier.

"Oh it doesn't? It just makes you a coward," She replied, before walking out the room, grabbing her jacket and leaving Logan to his thoughts.

Pulling her jacket on she headed straight out the front steps of the mansion and through the crowds of students arriving. Kitty spotted her go before going after her, phasing through the wall in front of her.

"What's wrong?" She asked making Aliana stop suddenly in her path.

"What do you think is wrong? No change that, who do you think is wrong?" Aliana asked, walking around Kitty and heading away on a much needed walk.

Kitty watched Aliana for a moment before heading back through the wall to warn Jean and Logan.

Aliana soon found a spot to sit on a fallen tree in a clearing. Reaching in to her pocket she pulled out 3 silver balls and begun to make them chase each other around her hand, watching them twist back and forth in between her fingers. Once they'd chased each other for a while Aliana flung them with all her power at a tree in front of her, fast enough for them to rip straight through the tree trunk and out the other side before returning to her hand.

"You've grown stronger, maybe I should have gotten you angry at me to begin with," A voice came from behind her making her stand up slowly and turn.

On the other side of the clearing stood Stryker with Dixon close behind him.

"Yeah I have. I also know exactly what you did to me," She replied, sending the 3 balls straight at Stryker before Dixon stepped in front of him, the balls hitting him instead of Stryker and bouncing straight off him.

"You really think I would keep a mutant like you around without another to protect me? How foolish you can be sometimes," Stryker said as Dixon moved towards Aliana.

The three balls returned to her hand and extended out to become a full length metallic bow which she spun with a simple elegance before engaging Dixon in full on battle. He was much stronger than anyone she'd fought against before.

She was soon backed up against a tree pinned in place with the metal bow.

"You never were a match for me. I don't know what Stryker kept you alive in the first place," He said pushing the bow a little closer to her.

"I more than a match for you," She replied, smiling as the bow suddenly shortened. The next thing anyone saw was Dixon moving away from Aliana, a short silver knife sticking out from between his ribs.

Just as he fell Logan flew in to the clearing, moving straight in front of Aliana.

"Oh look, the protector arrives. Miss me Logan?" Stryker asked as another person glided in to the clearing.

"You stay away from her," He said, the distinctive metal helmet giving him away instantly.

"And who might you be?" Stryker asked, an eyebrow raised at the newcomer.

"Her father," He replied simply.

"Oh really? I'll enjoy this then," Stryker said, raising a gun and shooting at Magneto.

"No!" Aliana shouted, shoving Logan out the way, and running in front of her father, only just in time to receive a bullet in the side, falling instantly and being caught by Logan who had rushed after her.

"Aliana! Aliana answer me!" He shouted, pressing a hand to her side.

"Shame, what a waste," Stryker said simply, glancing at Aliana before turning around and walking out of the clearing.

"I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have questioned you, I shouldn't have," Logan said, as he held her up.

"It's not your fault," she said simply as she lay there.

"We have to get her back, hand her to me, I'll get her there faster," Magneto said, holding out his arms.

Logan looked at Magneto for a moment, before handing Aliana to him, watching as she winced from the change of hold.

"I'll get you back, just hang on baby girl," He said, stepping on to a metal disk and literally flying to the mansion. Logan raced after them, determined to not leave her side.


	15. 15 Awakening

Logan and Eric stood on opposite sides of the bed. A bed in which Aliana lay, hooked up to all sorts of machinery.

"I suppose this means we must call for a truce," Eric said, looking up from his daughter to the feral that stood in front of him.

"Only for her," Logan replied, his eyes still on Aliana who appeared to be sleeping. Both of the men knew she was inches from death.

As soon as Magneto had arrived at the mansion with Aliana in his arms they had rushed her straight to the medical room, her pulse had been weak and she'd lost a lot of blood. The two of them had watched as Jean and Storm had rushed about the girl, strapping her up and connecting her to all the machinery.

"How is she?" Kitty asked from the doorway, her face streaky from tears since the professor had told her what had happened.

"No change yet, she's still hanging in though. You know how strong she is," Logan replied, looking around at Kitty who nodded before leaving to go and find Bobby.

"She told me you were scared of her becoming like me," Eric said, his eyes not firmly back on his daughter, a hand stroking her hair.

"The professor told her that, but yes, I suppose I am," Logan said, turning back to Eric.

"She'll never be like me; her mother didn't want her to end up this way. It's the reason she took her away. It's also the reason I didn't go after them," Eric explained before looking up at Logan, "but know for sure, you upset her like that one more time and the truce is off."

"I'll never upset her again," He replied simply.

"You two, out, she needs proper rest, not sleep interrupted by your arguing," Jean said, coming out of a small room to the side and shooing them out.

A week later Kitty sat next to Aliana's bed, chattering on about something unspecific, missing her friend. She'd spent every spare moment she had when Logan or Magneto hadn't been there sitting next to Aliana, reading to herself or talking to her friend, hoping that she could hear her.

Aliana groaned slightly causing Kitty to stop mid-sentence and stand up, watching her.

"Ali?" Kitty asked causing Aliana to move again, a slight groan escaping her lips again.

"Jean! Logan! Quick!" Kitty shouted over her shoulder to where Jean and Logan were talking in the office room. The two of them walked out and over to the bed. Jean immediately checked Aliana's vitals.

Aliana opened her eyes and blanched a little from the amounts of eyes watching her.

"Welcome back, how do you feel?" Logan asked as Jean poured a glass of water and helped Aliana drink it.

"Like crap," She replied in a slightly weak very tired voice.

"Not surprising, you've missed a week of life," Jean replied.

"And a week of gossip," Kitty added, smiling down at her friend.

"I haven't missed the gossip, in fact I caught every bit of it thank you," Aliana said, smiling a little at Kitty who grinned in reply.

A few days later Logan walked in to find Aliana sitting up in the bed, an empty tray next to her on the table.

"How are you today?" He asked, sitting on the end of her bed.

"Bored but content. It turns out all I needed was a near death experience for my memories to come flooding back," Aliana replied smiling as she twiddled a small ball of silver in between her fingers.

"Good to know, I thought you weren't meant to be using your powers, you're still weak," He said, nodding to the ball.

"I'm not, I have amazing finger dexterity," She replied, smiling as she threw the ball in the air and caught it in her hand, "it's good for boredom."

"Yes well, the professor said you should be fine to get out of bed tomorrow but you'll feel weak for a few days whilst you find your strength again," He said, patting her on the arm before heading out with the tray and leaving her to her, for once peaceful, thoughts.


	16. 16 Epilogue

A few weeks later Eric walked in to the medical room to find Jean checking Aliana's wound.

"Looks like you're all healed up, I think you're easily safe to start training again," Jean said, patting Aliana on the shoulder as she jumped off the bed she'd been sitting on.

"Good because I already have been," She replied smiling as she spotted Magneto. He'd been visiting whenever he could, mostly daily when she'd been recovering.

"How's my girl?" He asked as she headed over to him, a smile on her face.

"Good enough to start training again, I'll be whooping your arse in no time," She said as they headed out of the room together.

"And how do you suppose to do that?" He asked, smiling at his daughter.

"Easy, by being better than you," she replied, grinning before running ahead of him to find Logan and Kitty.

For once in her life, everything was working out. She had friends, a father and a life. But how long can things remain peaceful in a land where mutants and humans are always at war.


End file.
